the world as we saw it

Morocco

Many of the Kasbahs in southern Morocco have been transformed into hotels offering the foreigner the possibility of experiencing these traditional dwellings up close. This one in Agdz was the home of the local Caid (leader). His descendants who still reside hear have opened the doors to part of the Kasbah making this a very unique and authentic experience.

Morocco is a hot, dry place. To work in a tannery in Marrakech is to work under some of the harshest working conditions there are. Not only are you exposed to the blazing sun, but you are are soaked in blood, animal bodily fluids and parts, pigeon poo, and get paid appallingly.But there is some science to the ancient Moroccan tannery tradition.Legend has it that the tanners are descended from demons who lived under a black king. As they didn't obey his rules, they were condemned to work in the tanneries. They use hundreds of concrete vats to process animal skins which are bought locally in the souks. The skins (mainly sheep and goat although cow and camel are sometimes used - lions are no longer used as they were hunted to extinction in the region around 1900) are treated far differently to the way leather is treated in other parts of the world as the process clings to its ancient traditions. Hair and flesh are removed by soaking the skins in quicklime (Calcium Oxide formed when limestone - calcium carbonate - decomposes) and water. After this, the skins are placed in a vat of water and blood, then separated and rung out, before being coloured using a few natural products:Pomegranate for yellow;Olive oil for shininess;Bark for various colours, presumably brown;Saffron for golden yellow;Henna for red/orange;Poppy for many other colours including white, pink, yellow, orange, red and blue.The skins are stretched out and left to dry for over 20 days in little piles that look rancid. Pigeon poo is used to soften the leather, and if anyone knows why, I would love to know. Presumably the poo is slightly acidic. Pigeon poo has actually been reported to be quite dangerous, with people almost dying after ingesting it. The poo adds to the smell of the place, with there being large pigeon coups near the top in which you could wade knee deep in the brown-smelly stuff. Tannery,

Hamza is a delightful small boy who accompanied me around the palmeraie were he was brought up. His father past away some years ago and his mother now works in Kasbah ait Abu found inside the palmeraie.

A kasbah was a place for the local leader to live and as a defense when the city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls which usually have no windows. Sometimes, they were built on the top of hills to make them easier to defend. Some of them were also placed near the entrance of harbors. Having a kasbah built was a sign of wealth of some families in the city. Almost all cities had their kasbah, this building being something necessary for the city to survive.

Boy fetching bread from the local wood burning oven. When we met him he had already fallen into the temptation of taking a bite of the freshly made, flat bread. In Moroccan towns most people dont own an oven, so locals take their dough to the communal oven and have it baked by the baker for a small fee.

In Chefchaouen (often abbreviated as “Chaouen”), you’ll be welcomed to one of the most chill, laid back towns in all of Morocco. Long famous on the backpacker trek, this small mountain town is now really blossoming into its own as a travel destination. Chaouen is far enough off the beaten track to dissuade most tourists, which makes it quiet enough for those visitors brave enough to venture to the edge of the Rif Mountains. The narrow, Chaouen-blue pedestrian streets give ways to wide squares and breathtaking views over the lush valley below.

Chaouen is a respite of quiet after the busy medinas of Fez and Marrakech. However, it has enough of what is quintessentially Moroccan to be of interest to travelers looking for something a bit more authentic.

The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco.